The side hall of the West Hall in Yonghe Palace.
Two women dressed in palace attire, clutching their handkerchiefs, returned to the inner courtyard.
"Elder Sister, I truly do not understand. Is Consort Zhang not the biological sister of the Noble Consort? Why would she treat her so harshly?"
"Furthermore, that Consort Zhang has only just received the Emperor's favor. It is said that during lunch, the Emperor even went to visit her! With the imperial favor so strong, is the Noble Consort not afraid that Consort Zhang will complain to the Emperor?"
The one speaking was Lady Liu, and the one she called Elder Sister was Yuan Pin.
Yuan Pin lived in the West Side Hall of Yonghe Palace, and Lady Liu lived in the side room of the West Hall. They both made a living under the Noble Consort, so their relationship remained relatively good.
"The Noble Consort is different from other imperial concubines. Years ago, when the Emperor was hunting at Jingshan and was ambushed, the Noble Consort saved his life at the cost of her own! In the end, she suffered permanent damage." She could never conceive again.
"Therefore, no matter what the Noble Consort does, as long as it is not an act of treason, the Emperor will not dwell on it too much!"
"As for this Consort Zhang..." She drank some tea, a flash of contempt in her eyes, "She is nothing more than a vessel for bearing children. How could the Noble Consort truly care about her?"
Lady Liu did not understand and asked, "Elder Sister, what is a vessel for bearing children?"
Yuan Pin said no more.
After all, only a few people knew that the Noble Consort could not conceive. If the Noble Consort found out she was gossiping behind her back, she feared she would have her tongue pulled out!
Seeing that she had only said half of what she meant, Lady Liu could not help her curiosity and continued to probe, "Elder Sister, is there some secret?"
Yuan Pin glanced at her neither lightly nor heavily and said indifferently, "In this harem, the most important thing is to control your own mouth! If you want to survive, speak less, do less, and watch more, understand?"
Lady Liu quickly shut her mouth and nodded.
Any slight movement in this harem would spread to every corner of the harem in an instant, and of course, that included Kunning Palace.
The side hall of Kunning Palace.
The Empress, dressed in a phoenix robe with gold patterns, was graceful and elegant, sitting calmly on the Noble Consort's couch.
On her head was a gold-threaded cloud and moon crown, with a gold-threaded frame and exquisitely carved cloud and moon patterns. A white jade dragon hairpin was inserted diagonally to secure the crown, and the entire piece was adorned with North Sea pearls of various sizes, their luster scattered, creating a natural air of nobility that made one dare not look directly at her.
An old woman dressed in gray-blue palace attire served her a cup of warm tea, "Empress, what kind of madness do you think the Noble Consort is up to? Wasn't that Consort Zhang brought into the palace by her own hand? Why is she so impatient to torment her right after she has attended the Emperor?"
She had originally thought that the Noble Consort would wait until Consort Zhang gave birth to a child before revealing her true colors, but she had not expected her to be so impatient!
The Empress Jiang Yunfu took a small sip of tea and then placed the Ru ware white porcelain back on the tea table. She picked up a silk handkerchief and dabbed the water from the corners of her mouth, her movements elegant and dignified, fully displaying her aristocratic demeanor.
"It is said that this Zhang Wanrou was born to the Marquis of Zhenxi and a local woman seventeen years ago when he was handling a case in Jiangnan."
"Although that Jiangnan woman was brought to the Marquis's Estate as a concubine, this Zhang Wanrou was not tolerated by the Marchioness, and at the age of five, she was sent to the deep mountains to 'recuperate'!"
"If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Wanyin could not have children, I suspect this Zhang Wanrou would still be left to fend for herself in the mountains!"
The old woman suddenly understood and grasped a bit more, "Does the Empress mean that this concubine's daughter, who was abandoned by the Zhang family since childhood, cannot win the Noble Consort's heart at all, so the Noble Consort is not afraid that this woman will resist her or betray her?"
Jiang Yunfu gave a cold snort, "In the harem, besides this Palace and the Empress Dowager, which woman does she ever take seriously?"
The old woman said with dissatisfaction, "This Noble Consort, relying on that little bit of favor from the Emperor, runs rampant in this harem! She cannot have children, so she won't let others have children either!"
"If the Emperor knew her intentions were so vicious, I wonder what he would think!"
The Empress was unconcerned and smoothed her sleeves, "Let her make a scene! If the women in this harem cannot have children, it is a good thing for my Prince."
The old woman smiled and agreed, "The Empress is right. The Emperor has few heirs. Although the first two princes were born, they both died prematurely. Now, His Majesty only has the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince alive. The Sixth Prince's mother is of low status, so it is impossible for him to be mentioned in the same breath as the Third Prince!"
"Once the time is right, it will be a matter of course for the Third Prince to be named the Crown Prince."
Hearing this, a smile curled at the corners of the Empress's lips.
Yes, in this world, whose offspring could be as noble as her Prince? Zhang Wanyin wants to use another woman's womb to give birth to a prince to compete with her? She should look at what kind of person she is!
The old woman thought of Zhang Wanrou and showed concern on her face, "Empress, should we intervene? What if she really becomes pregnant with the imperial heir?"
Do not let Zhang Wanyin gain the capital to compete with the Empress.
Jiang Yunfu raised her eyebrows, paused, and said, "Do not be in a hurry. If that Zhang Wanrou is a smart person, she should have guessed the Noble Consort's intentions. In that case, she will know what to do without us having to lift a finger."
"But if she is a fool and cannot see through Zhang Wanyin's schemes, and she becomes pregnant..."
Speaking of this, a sneer flashed in her eyes, "In the harem, there are countless women who have been harmed by Zhang Wanyin. At that time, would there be any need to dirty my own hands?"
The old woman's eyes lit up, full of admiration, "The Empress is wise!"
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In the side room of the East Side Hall of Yonghe Palace, the Imperial Physician took the pulse of Zhang Wanrou, who was on the couch.
Outside the side room, two palace maids stood, straining their ears to listen to the movement inside.
They wanted to go in and see the situation, but after the Noble Consort left, Consort Zhang went mad and drove them all out, leaving only Qing Ning in the inner chamber.
Zhang Wanrou gave Qing Ning a look, and she immediately retreated outside the inner chamber.
When there was no one around, Zhang Wanrou withdrew her hand and looked up at the Imperial Physician. The Imperial Physician's expression was ugly, and fine sweat was seeping from his forehead.
"Consort, Consort Zhang..."
Zhang Wanrou looked at him, her face delicate and innocent, but those eyes were like a turbulent lake with dark waves surging beneath.
"Imperial Physician Hu, this Jieyu attended the Emperor last night. After I returned, the Noble Consort was happy and rewarded me with a bowl of ginseng soup. But after that soup went down, this Jieyu began to suffer from unbearable abdominal pain..."
"Does the Imperial Physician know what the Noble Consort gave me to drink?"
Imperial Physician Hu's heart trembled. He quickly wiped his sweat and replied, "Consort Zhang, please rest assured. What the Noble Consort rewarded you with should be ordinary tonic. As for the abdominal pain, it may be related to you catching a chill after attending the Emperor for the first time."
At this moment, Zhang Wanrou's gaze became calm and profound, making Hu Yong feel an inexplicable chill down his spine, not daring to make eye contact with her.
"Is that so..." She turned, a brilliant smile blooming on her face, "Since that is the case, when the Emperor comes later, I will not mention this matter."
"My stomach hurt so much just now that I thought the Noble Consort had given me something I shouldn't have drunk!"
"But since Imperial Physician Hu says it is an ordinary tonic, then I will believe it."
The sweat beads on Hu Yong's forehead grew larger. He used his peripheral vision to watch Zhang Wanrou's expression, his heart pounding.
What does Consort Zhang mean by this?
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